His understanding of the path of Martial Artists only stopped at the Body Tempering Realm. As for the Forging Tendons Realm and Blood Transportation Realm above that, he didn't know much, especially the third Realm, the Blood Transportation Realm, of which he only knew the name.
Seeing Lin Sheng pressing the question, Zhang Ding didn't have any intention of hiding anything. He patted Lin Sheng's shoulder familiarly and continued with a chuckle.
"Brother Lin, don't worry. I'll take you to get familiar with the surroundings first. We can talk as we walk."
He wasn't showing goodwill for no reason. The considerable strength Lin Sheng had shown earlier was what made him more inclined to befriend him.
The two of them talked as they walked.
"Brother Lin, since you've stepped onto the path of Martial Artists, you should have some understanding of the Realms of Martial Artists. The first Realm, Body Tempering, is very simple. It's about refining and tempering the physique, strengthening one's Qi and blood. As long as you have a cultivation method, you can successfully enter this step with enough time."
"Simply put, the Body Tempering Realm actually doesn't have very high requirements for a cultivator's Aptitude. Unless there's a congenital physical defect or they are too old, even ordinary people can pass this stage. It's just a matter of time."
"I know that."
Lin Sheng nodded. Wang Dehai had briefly mentioned it to him before, and the general meaning was similar.
"But the Forging Tendons Realm above that is different. At this step, there begin to be requirements for a cultivator's foundation and comprehension. To step into the Forging Tendons Realm, one's physique, Qi, and blood must accumulate to a certain level. You use Qi and blood to fill your tendons and bones, strengthening and nourishing them."
"Upon entering the Forging Tendons Realm, your tendon and bone strength will skyrocket. Compared to the improvement in the Body Tempering Realm, both strength and speed will be much stronger. Of course, this depends on the focus of the cultivation method you practice. For instance, the Raging Bull Fist we practice focuses on strength, especially hand strength. Like Team Leader Wang, he has cultivated the Raging Bull Fist to Great Completion and successfully entered the Forging Tendons Realm as a master. With his palms fully unleashed, he can exert nearly two thousand catties of force."
Speaking of this, a hint of envy appeared on Zhang Ding's face.
"Moreover, his arms are as hard as rock. Even if they clash head-on with ordinary swords, they won't suffer any damage. Therefore, Martial Artists in the Forging Tendons Realm are far stronger than Body Tempering Martial Artists and can be considered skilled individuals in our Lin'an County."
"Forging Tendons Realm, 2000 catties of force!?"
Hearing Zhang Ding's words, a trace of surprise appeared on Lin Sheng's face.
His current strength, under full exertion, is estimated to be around 1000 catties. Of course, the strength mentioned here isn't as simple as just being able to lift a thousand-catty stone lock, but rather being able to execute a boxing stance while holding a thousand-catty stone lock.
The Raging Bull Fist at Minor Accomplishment increases strength by about four to five hundred catties. He didn't expect that upon reaching Great Completion and entering the Forging Tendons Realm, it would directly increase several times over. Such an improvement is truly terrifying.
"Brother Lin, you should know that someone like Team Leader Wang, within the Forging Tendons Realm, is merely average, or even considered among the weakest..."
A trace of emotion appeared on Zhang Ding's face as he said slowly.
"Merely average... among the weakest!?"
Lin Sheng raised an eyebrow, a guess forming in his mind.
"Zhang Ge, are you referring to cultivation methods?"
"That's right, the fundamental reason lies in the cultivation methods. The Forging Tendons Realm is different from the Body Tempering Realm. It is divided into two stages: Early Stage and Late Stage. Only by passing these two minor stages can one attempt to break through to the Blood Transportation Realm."
Zhang Ding glanced at Lin Sheng with approval in his eyes.
"The Raging Bull Fist, in the end, is just an ordinary third-rate martial art. Being able to barely allow someone to step into the Forging Tendons Realm is already the limit of this method, so one can only Cultivate it up to the Forging Tendons Early Stage at most."
"As for cultivating to the Forging Tendons Late Stage and even the Blood Transportation Realm afterwards, more Advanced martial arts are required, such as second-rate or even first-rate martial arts."
"The higher the Rank of the martial art, the higher the upper limit. Furthermore, between two people at the same Realm, the one cultivating a higher-ranked martial art will definitely be stronger. After all, higher-ranked martial arts have a much better effect on refining one's Qi and blood, which naturally manifests as a greater increase in physical quality."
Speaking of this, Zhang Ding paused, his gaze falling on Lin Sheng.
"Brother Lin, your talent can be considered decent, but you are a bit old and have already passed the best age for practicing martial arts.
If you were two or three years younger, after cultivating the Raging Bull Fist to Great Completion and then switching to a second-rate martial art within the building, there might be a slight chance for you to glimpse the Blood Transportation Realm. But unfortunately, it's too late now. Even if you were given a second-rate martial art now, you might not be able to Cultivate to the Forging Tendons Late Stage before the age of 35."
"Does that mean after the age of 35, one can't enter the Blood Transportation Realm?"
Lin Sheng asked with a frown. From the other party's words, he heard that it seemed the age of thirty-five was a hurdle for Martial Artists.
"That's not absolute, but 35 is a turning point where a Martial Artist's Qi and blood begin to decline. If you can't break through before 35, during your most vigorous period, then the chance of breaking through naturally becomes even slimmer as your body goes downhill after 35. Take Team Leader Wang, for example. He's nearly forty years old now, and even though he's cultivated a second-rate martial art from the building, he's been stuck at Forging Tendons Minor Accomplishment for over three years."
Zhang Ding shook his head and said.
As if fearing he had discouraged Lin Sheng, he patted his shoulder again and comforted him.
"Brother Lin, you don't need to be discouraged. In my opinion, you won't have any problem entering the Forging Tendons Realm. If you can Cultivate to the Forging Tendons Late Stage in the future, you'll be able to wield considerable influence in this Lin'an County. Unlike me, who is almost thirty now and still stuck in the Body Tempering Realm, I don't know when I'll be able to step into the Forging Tendons Early Stage, let alone the Forging Tendons Late Stage."
That's right, Zhang Ding was one of the Body Tempering Martial Artists under Wang Sanyang and could be considered an old-timer in Zhenshan Tower. This was also the reason why he knew quite a bit about the path of Martial Artists.
For the rest of the time, Zhang Ding didn't talk much more about Martial Artist Realms. Instead, he changed the subject and told Lin Sheng about the situation at the Hunting Beast Hall and their daily work.
"Alright, Brother Lin, you plan to live outside. This courtyard just became vacant a while ago. You can see if it suits you. If you don't think it's suitable, you can have old man Sun take you to look at others."
Zhang Ding took Lin Sheng to a residence not far from the team's dormitory. The landlord was a skinny old man named Sun, who enthusiastically showed Lin Sheng around the courtyard.
"This one will do. I'll rent it for a month first."
Although the residence wasn't large and the furnishings inside were a bit simple, it was quite clean, and the courtyard was also fairly neat. Lin Sheng had no intention of looking further and decided on it directly.
For him, where he lived wasn't important. As long as he had his own space where he could Cultivate quietly, that was enough.